hended in the Words of my Text? And from whence I fhall take occafion to Dif course upon these two Heads.

I. The Juftice of the Divine Decree of Death to all Men. It is appointed unto Men

once to die.

II. The Juftice and Wisdom of the Divine Decree of Judgment to be executed, after Death, and not in this Life: But after this the Judgment.

First then, if we confider only the light of Reason, nothing can appear more juft, than the Divine Decree which imposeth a neceffity of Dying upon all Men. God being the Author of our Exiftence, and the Lord of Life and Death, might juftly dispose of, or difpenfe either, according to his Good Pleasure. It Was a fufficient Obligation to Man to have received the benefit of Exiftence, without expecting a perpetual and invariable confervation of that Existence. The very Nature and Conftitution of Man declares him to be Mortal; and then surely it could neither be unjuft or unreasonable in God to permit the natural course of Nature to be obferved. Thus far the Divine Decree is unquestionable, and fecure from all Objections.

But then the revealed History of the Creation of Man, and the Divine Difpenfations in relation to him, include fome apparent

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parent fhew of Injuftice; which may induce inconfidering Perfons to accufe God of overmuch Rigour, and even Tyranny, in condemning the whole Race of Mankind to the Sentence of Death, for the fingle fault of the First Man; and extending the Punishment of that to all his pofterity, which was yet unborn, and therefore wholly innocent of it. A proceeding and manner of Judicature, which would appear harfh and even cruel among Men; elpecially as it hath been erroneously reprefented by many Writers and Divines, who endeavouring to amplifie the unlimited Power of God, and meanness of Man, would perfwade us, that herein God had no respect to the Merits or Demerits of Men; that he created the far greater part of Mankind for no other end, than to make them miferable, and to fhew forth, in their Punishments, the Effects of his Almighty Power, and that in punishing the Fall of Adam, he fubjected his whole Pofterity, not only to Temporal but Eternal Death. This would indeed effectually declare the Power of Ged, but fuch a Power as would be Odious and Intolerable, Unjuft and Tyrannical, far unbecoming the Purity of a most Perfect Being. It becomes us to entertain more noble Conceptions of God, and not fancy him to be the Author of fuch arbitrary Punishments, as are inconfiftent with his Holiness and Juftice. To vindicate therefore thefe Divine Attributes in taking occafion from the

Fall

Fall of Adam to form an Univerfal Decree of Death to all his Pofterity, it will not be unseasonable to reflect a little upon it before I pass any further.

dies are.

To clear this Matter therefore, we may observe, that the Nature of Man, as compounded of Soul and Body, is mortal, and fubject to Diffolution, as all compounded BoIt is our Soul alone, which being immaterial, and void of all Compofition, can promife to it felf an immortal State, and that no longer than while it pleaseth God that the ordinary courfe of Nature fhall be obferved. Death then was the natural Effect and Confequence of our Conftitution, even in the State of Innocence, from which Man could not be rescued, but by a miraculous and extraordinary Affiftance of God, conftantly preferving the Union of Soul and Body, removing Diseases, repairing the Defects of Nature, and renewing the Vigour of it. This extraordinary Affiftance therefore, and means of Prefervation, was a fuperadded Favour of God, which he might conferr upon Man, upon whatfoever Condition himself pleafed. Subjection, Adoration, and Gratitude was owing to God, the Author and Preferver of our Being, even without the Obligation of this fupernatural Benefit, The Dictates of Reafon and Natural Religion, were wholly independent of it; and although performed exactly, and without any intervenient Sin, could not justly claim 04

any

any other Reward from God, than the conti nuation of Existence, as long as the ordinary course of Nature fhould permit it

The Gift of Immortality was extraordina ry, and as fuch might be annexed to whatsoever Conditions or Perfons God should please to do it. God therefore made a Covenant with Adam, and promiled to him, That if befides the obfervation of the Law of Nature, to which he was obliged from the Confideration of his ordinary State and Condition, he would more particularly manifeft his Obedience and Subjection to him, by abstaining from the feemingly pleasant Fruit of a Tree in the Garden, called the Tree of knowledge of good and evil; he would in recompence entail upon himself and his Pofterity, performing the fame Condition, a perpetual fruition of the fame State of Life, which he then enjoyed, and continue his Existence beyond the ordinary courfe of Nature, even for ever: Which because it could not be effected without fome extraordinary Remedies and Affiftance, God created for that purpose the Tree of Life, by the powerful vertue of whofe Fruit the decaying Nature of Man might from time to time be restored and preferved without Corrup tion. Whereas if he fhould neglect to perform this fmall Condition, and be tempted to violate the Divine Prohibition of Tafting the Fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, he should forfeit this fuperadded Promife

Promise of Immortality, not only to himfelt, but to all his Pofterity defcending from him; not to be immediately destroyed or put to Death, but to be deprived of that extraordinary Affistance, and so left to the ordinary courfe of Nature.

When Adam therefore really broke the Condition, and violated the Command of God; God might juftly withdraw, as he in effect did, the fupernatural Benefit of Immortality, and thenceforward deny it to Mankind.

The Mystery of the Fall of Adam being thus explained; nothing can be more unexceptionable, or more agreeable to the stricteft Rules of Juftice and Reafon. Hereby no Man is punished for the fault of another: For the lofs or rather not obtaining a Favour, to which we have naturally no Right or Claim, can in no wife be called a Punithment. Hereby the Juftice of God is cleared beyond all Contradiction, feeing that no Wrong or Injury is done unto any. His Goodness is made evident in entailing fo wonderful a Reward as Immortality, upon the observation of fo eafie a Condition; and enforcing the observation of it, by an Argument drawn from the happiness or unhap pinefs of all Mankind enfuing to it; which in all reafon might be fuppofed to make Adam infinitely more careful and concerned in it.

Laftly,